Wilders Not Allowed in Britain

[spiritus_persona]

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/02/12/britain-invites-anti-islam-film-maker-to-visit-then-refuses-him-entry.aspx

The British government apparently can't decide where it stands on the appeasement of Islamic groupsd opposed to criticism of Islam.

Geert Wilders, a Dutch parliamentarion who produced Fitna, a 17-minute film interspersing excerpts from the Koran with depictions of violent acts by Muslim groups, was invited to show his film in the House of Lords.

He accepted the offer, but then was notified by Britain's Home Office that he would not be granted entry to the country "in the interests of public order", according to Britain's The Telegraph.

The paper reported:

Home Office sources confirmed Mr Wilders had been refused entry to the UK.

A Home Office spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: "The Government opposes extremism in all its forms.

"It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.

"That was the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behaviour that the Home Secretary announced on in October last year."

The Lords says the invitation remains open, however.

Telegraph columnist Daniel Hannan deplored the decision:

"So, it's official. Britain has closed its borders to people whom it deems insufficiently multi-culti. Never mind that Geert Wilders is an elected politician, and that he leads a legitimate political party with nine MPs in the Dutch Parliament. He is not welcome in New Labour's New Britain.

Now for what it's worth, I think Wilders is a nasty piece of work. Having begun with an eminently reasonable point of view - that Islamism should not be allowed to prejudice civic liberties - he has ended up being every bit as authoritarian as the people he criticises. Read his demand for the Koran to be banned: this is not a measured critique from a politician concerned about tolerance and freedom; it's a foul-mouthed rant from someone deliberately courting controversy.

But being obnoxious is not a criminal offence. Crassness is not the same thing as incitement. To find someone guilty of incitement, you need to show that they, you know, incited someone.
Wilders has been under 24-hour guard since Fitna appeared earlier this year. He says he plans to try entering the UK despite the ban.

 

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